I think spring might be here...

Happy Birthday K!

A few photos from K's postponed birthday party.  (We have a couple of fevers and some pink eye to thank for the altered date.)

Dino cake as requested.

Cupcakes iced with the leftover cake icing.  There were 2 orange, 2 yellow, 7 white and 5 pink.

Pretty pink rose.  I don't think it's been eaten yet.  Please excuse me for a minute....

 As the icing was the biggest hit of the night, I thought I should share the recipe.  This is for you ck!

Icing

Taken from How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson (I heart her. That is all.)

1 1lb butter

1 1kg bag of icing sugar (Sieved if you have the patience.  I don't.)

2 t vanilla extract

3 T milk

Using a stand mixer (with the paddle attachment) or a hand mixer cream the butter.  Slowly add icing sugar to butter  to blend.  Add vanilla and milk.  Continue to blend until smooth.

(This is actually 1.5 times the original recipe but the measurements are easier to remember and it never hurts to have extra icing lying around.  It's a well documented fact.  Really.)

Cheesecake-Swirled Brownies

If ever there were a dessert to bring back this abandoned blog it is these brownies.  I read about these over on Chasing Tomatoes and decided that I must make them so I starred the recipe (Thank you Google Reader) and went on about my business.

And here we are but a day later, brownies made.  Decadent and delicious.

I suggest you check out the recipe on Smitten Kitchen.  If you haven't ever been to her site, you really should.  Everything is mouthwatering.

Both Smitten Kitchen and Chasing Tomatoes suggest chilling the brownies before cutting them.  Should you choose to ignore this excellent advice, say because a 4 year old and a 2 year old are pestering you for their dessert, be warned that they will be eating the warm mush with a spoon.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.